Oxford United

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Gary Rowett says Oxford United won't be prioritising any games over others as they fight to retain their Championship status.

The U's are seven points and four places above the relegation zone with 11 games remaining, the first of which is at play-off chasing Norwich on Friday (20:00 GMT).

Rowett's side will head to Hull City, one place below them, on Wednesday night in a potentially huge clash, but Rowett told BBC Radio Oxford: "We're fully focused on Norwich.

"We know these games are tough, but that's the challenge of the Championship. You know there are some games where you really have to step-up to try and get a result, and this is that type of game."

Oxford have taken 29 of their 38 points (76.3 per cent) in the league this season at Kassam Stadium, compared to just nine when playing on the road.

Rowett was asked if he should prioritise home games and those against teams in the lower reaches of the table but insisted: "If you think that you might as well put the reserves out and don't bother with the game – that would be ridiculous.

"Every game is an opportunity to try and win. As a head coach you have to try to find ways to do that.

"I would never do that, but some coaches maybe have the licence to be able to rotate their squad depending on the strengths of their team. I'd suggest that's maybe the top-six teams, everyone else is concentrating on winning the next game.

"Sometimes you accept away from home that you're not always going to win and, if you can get a draw, those points help you ticking along, providing your home form is strong, which is has been for the majority of the time since we've been here."

Rowett said he "took the positives" out of Saturday's battling 3-2 home defeat to upwardly-mobile Coventry and added: "We should have got something out of that game, in my opinion, and that's a side who have won eight out of nine.

"Norwich are a good side, they score goals, particularly at home, and they are versatile. These are certainly the games we need to get more out of, away from home in particular."

The weekend Championship action kicks-off at Carrow Road on Friday night (20:00 GMT) as Norwich entertain Oxford United.

A win for the Canaries would make it four unbeaten and take them up to ninth, within a point of the play-off places.

The U's are 18th, with a seven point cushion over the relegation zone, despite having suffered three straight defeats.

• Norwich City have lost just one of their 10 home league games against Oxford United (W6 D3), though that sole defeat did come in their last clash with the U's at Carrow Road in November 1998 (3-1).

• After winning the reverse fixture 2-0 in August, Oxford United will be looking to record a first ever league double over Norwich City in the EFL.

• Norwich City have scored the fewest set piece goals in the Championship this season (7), while it is also the lowest percentage of goals from set pieces of any side (12.5%, 7/56).

• Oxford United have suffered defeat in their past three league games, their third run of three losses in a row of the season. The U's last had a longer losing league run in February and March 2023 (five), while Gary Rowett has never lost four league games in a row in his entire managerial career, which has spanned 501 league games for six different clubs.

• Emiliano Marcondes has been involved in 10 goals in his past 17 Championship games for Norwich City (4 goals, 6 assists), assisting a goal in three of his last four appearances.

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Oxford United boss Gary Rowett has said there are a few players recovering from injuries that could be back in contention after the upcoming international break.

One of those is Leicester City loanee Ben Nelson, who suffered an injury to his quad back in November.

"Ben has been back in the group today," Rowett told BBC Radio Oxford. "It's going to take a little bit of time until he will be at a level to be playing games.

"You're probably looking at after the international break, there is maybe a small chance that it could be before that.

"We have to make good decisions around a young player with great potential, he trained this morning and we have some other lads that are around a similar timescale.

"After the international break we will hopefully have a very strong squad, touch wood!"

Oxford are next in Championship action on Friday night when they travel to Norwich City.

There are international matches scheduled from 21 to 24 March and the U's will then return to action at Middlesbrough on 29 March.

"You go with the guy that you went with last season when you were in exactly the same situation and Oxford ended up getting promoted - that's Mark Harris."

Robyn Cowen and Jerome Sale are joined by former Oxford United defender Ben Purkiss and podcaster George Elek to discuss the U's brighter performance against Coventry - but what's the best solution for Oxford's number nine problem?

Includes interviews with boss Gary Rowett and U's defender Elliott Moore.

You can listen to the full episode and more on The Dub podcast.

Image source, Rex Features

Gary Rowett saluted a battling display despite seeing his Oxford United side slip to a third straight loss with a 3-2 defeat by Coventry.

Oxford twice came from behind to draw level with the Sky Blues in a frantic nine minute period that saw three goals between the two sides, before Coventry's Tatsuhiro Sakamoto scored the winner.

Speaking to BBC Radio Oxford, Rowett said: "It was nice to get back on it a little bit today and look more dangerous and create more chances.

"Even in this recent run of form I look at all the games that have been close and it is little moments."

Despite now failing to win any of their past seven matches in the league, Oxford at least scored their first goals after four games without finding the net.

"I thought we have been incredibly competitive today. You didn't see a team feeling sorry for themselves, we kept going and we kept fighting. Sometimes it comes down to that little bit of quality like their third goal which was an incredible finish," Rowett said.

Image source, Rex Features

Gary Rowett says Oxford United have shown they can be a mid-table Championship side, but need to go and prove it again.

After a blistering start following Rowett's Christmas appointment with 17 points from seven matches, the U's have slipped back to 18th, eight points above the relegation zone, but are winless in six games since beating Luton on 21 January.

They have collected just three points from that run and scored only once, though Rowett told BBC Radio Oxford he wasn't unduly concerned at this stage.

"I've been in the Championship a long time," the former Birmingham, Derby, Stoke and Millwall manager said. "It's the highs and lows of the division you can't avoid. I can probably name 10 teams that have had runs of probably double this length of time without winning a game at some point. Some of those teams might be in the top half.

"You have to look overall. You're aware that we have dropped off a tiny bit in certain elements of the performance, that's natural, scoring goals of course has been one of those we are working on.

"When we came in second from bottom, level on points with the bottom team, if you'd have said after another 13 games we'd be where we are in the league and disappointed with our recent form you'd have probably said 'I'm not sure that's going to happen'."

Rowett agreed there was a "gulf" between the division's leading teams and the rest, but added: "I think there are a lot of teams in that middle level and that's something I've spoken to our players about.

"I think we've shown in the first seven games that we can be in that middle pack, what we've showed in the last six games is that we've found it hard to stay in that middle pack - I think that's just the reality of the division.

"It's all about performance and bouncing back and showing the determination when you lose and trying not to get too carried away when you win, and this cycle's no different."

Coventry City could climb into the play-off places for the first time this season if they can avoid defeat at Oxford United on Saturday (12:30 GMT).

Frank Lampard's side have won three straight league games and seven of their past eight to move within a point of the top-six.

Oxford United's resurgence under new boss Gary Rowett seems to have fizzled out, with the U's taking just three points and scoring one goal in their past six league games, though they have built an eight-point cushion over the relegation zone.

• Oxford United have lost just one of their past five home league games against Coventry City (W3 D1), scoring 11 goals in total across that time.

• After winning the reverse fixture 3-2 in August, Coventry City will be looking to complete just a second league double over Oxford United, alongside the 1985-86 season.

• Oxford have failed to win any of their last six league games (D3 L3), failing to score in each of their last four. The U's haven't endured a longer run without scoring since a five-match stint in October 1996.

• Coventry have won seven of their last eight league games (L1), as many as across their prior 32 Championship outings combined since April last year.

• Since the weekend of Frank Lampard's first match in charge of Coventry at the end of November, only the current top three of Leeds, Sheffield United and Burnley have earned more points in the Championship than the Sky Blues (32).

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Oxford United striker Ole Romeny says he knows he "needs to score goals" following his big-money move to the club in the January window.

The 24-year-old joined the U's from Dutch top-flight club Utrecht for a fee understood to be a club record and made his full debut in Saturday's 2-0 Championship defeat by West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns.

"I'm really happy to start. I felt good. Of course, I want to play every game," Romeny told BBC Radio Oxford.

"I came here to play and to be important for the team and that's the only thing I care about. I need to score goals.

"There's always pressure. Everywhere you play. I enjoy my football so I don't really think about all those other things."

Romeny, who made four appearances from the bench prior to the trip to Albion, said he doesn't feel the weight of expectation despite his price tag, adding: "there's always pressure - everywhere you play - I don't really think about all those things".

He has no problem with being the lone target man in games under boss Gary Rowett, a system that can leave him looking isolated at times, especially away from home.

"You need to be strong, keep the ball and be a rest point for the team and I think I can do that," Romeny said.

"I'm comfortable on the ball and like it at my feet so it suits me."

Romeny echoed Rowett's views that Oxford needed to be "more clinical", adding that they "were lacking a bit of communication" against the play-off chasing Baggies but said they "need to stay positive".

United take on another promotion candidate in Coventry City on Saturday with their nine-game unbeaten run at the start of Rowett's reign just after Christmas providing them with an eight point cushion above the relegation zone.

Romeny said they are "not focusing" on the table instead "giving everything every game to try to win - you cannot do more than that".

"A disappointing game, a disappointing result but ultimately, from a perspective point of view, if you look where the team is now compared to where it was when Gary took over, you can't really argue.

"It was always going to be a difficult fixture but probably one that you write off you think as a learning point for further down the line and you hope further down the line is next year and what the club need to do to be successful next year as well."

On the back of the 2-0 loss at West Bromwich Albion, Robyn Cowen is joined by former Oxford United defender Ben Purkiss and podcaster George Elek to discuss the U's six-match winless streak, toxicity around the club and what the downwards spell truly means going forward.

You can listen to the full episode and more on The Dub podcast.

Image source, Rex Features

Gary Rowett said his Oxford United side have to be more clinical in front of goal if they are to arrest their slump in form.

Speaking to BBC Radio Oxford after his side lost 2-0 at West Brom, the U's manager said: "The moments when the game opens up can you find the quality?

"We probably showed for the last five games moments we get into where it should end up in a shot, moments where you get into where there is an attacking opportunity or a promising opportunity and they fizzle out because we make the wrong pass or decision."

Oxford have won just one game on the road all season and are now winless in their past six but Rowett believes their luck will turn if they keep working hard.

"You are in a division with teams like Middlesbrough that have lost five games on the spin," he added. "It is not an easy division and it takes prisoners very quickly.

"From the highs of the early run of form to the disappointment of the last four or five games just petering out a little bit, but we have to do something about it."

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Oxford United boss Gary Rowett says his side are "working hard" to try and be more creative in attack ahead of the trip to West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

Results vastly improved after Rowett took charge in late December, the U's going on a nine-game unbeaten run (W5 D4) to move away from the bottom three.

They suffered their first defeat under Rowett at Burnley on 4 February and also lost 2-0 at home to Portsmouth last time out.

Oxford are now without a win in their past five Championship games (D3 L2) and have scored just one goal in that time, drawing a blank in three consecutive matches.

But Rowett says he's "seen a good reaction" from his players and that games are always going to be determined by fine margins.

"When you go a goal ahead in this division it makes a huge difference to the outcome of the game," he told BBC Radio Oxford.

"Disappointed as we were, the players have been back on it this week. They've worked really hard to try and improve on one or two areas.

"Of course, we're trying to be a little bit more creative in some of those final third positions and help the attackers build that confidence back up."

Rowett added: "The team has to chip in, set-pieces, other ways of scoring, the team have to support the forwards and create opportunities for them.

"But ultimately if you're a forward player, you need to step up and come up with some of those moments.

"There is no easy solution. It's a tough league and what we've got to do is work really, really hard to make those things go our way."

Image source, Rex Features

Oxford United boss Gary Rowett says he is delighted to see West Bromwich Albion head coach Tony Mowbray back on the touchline ahead of the two sides meeting on Saturday.

Rowett replaced Mowbray as Birmingham City head coach last March whilst Mowbray received treatment for bowel cancer.

After being given the all-clear, Mowbray was reappointed Albion boss in January following the departure of Carlos Corberan to Valencia.

"Its great to see Tony back," Rowett told BBC Radio Oxford.

"I obviously followed Tony at Birmingham and I think it shows how much everyone respects him that everyone is pleased for him to come back.

"I'm sure now he is back, he doesn't want everyone talking about it [the cancer diagnosis] forever but it's great to see him out there.

"It'll be nice to lock horns with him once more because he's a top football manager and a top football person and I wish him all the best."

West Bromwich Albion welcome Oxford United to The Hawthorns on Saturday (15:00 GMT) with both sides looking to return to winning ways.

Since winning five of their opening six games, the Baggies have won just six of the 27 matches that have followed (D14 L7), but still remain in control of their own play-off destiny.

The U's are without a win in their past five games (D3 L2) but are nine points above the bottom three as things stand.

• West Brom have won just one of their past eight league games against Oxford United (D3 L4), though it did come during their most recent home match against the U's in March 1999 (2-0).

• Oxford United have won just one of their 11 away league games against West Brom (D2 L8), failing to keep a single clean sheet during that time.

• West Bromwich Albion lost 2-0 at home to Blackburn in their previous league game at the Hawthorns but haven't lost consecutively at home since October 2022.

• Oxford won five of their first seven Championship games under Gary Rowett (D2), scoring 12 goals. They've since gone winless in five games, scoring just once (D3 L2).

• West Brom manager Tony Mowbray has won both of his previous managerial encounters with Oxford United, beating them twice when he was Blackburn manager in League One in 2017-18.

"The game just descended into a terrible affair between two pretty poor teams."

Robyn Cowen and Jerome Sale are joined by former Oxford United defender Ben Purkiss and podcaster George Elek to discuss the U's disappointing loss to Portsmouth, which incurred a 30-minute interruption due to a medical emergency.

You can listen to the full episode and more on The Dub podcast.

Image source, Getty Images

Oxford United say the supporter who was treated for a medical emergency during Saturday's defeat by Portsmouth is in a stable condition in hospital.

The unnamed fan, who was sitting in the North Stand at the Kassam Stadium, suffered a cardiac arrest during the first half of the Championship match.

The game was stopped for 30 minutes as medics provided treatment.

"The club would like to place on record our thanks to the onsite medical team from St John Ambulance and South Central Ambulance Service, Thames Valley Police, stadium stewards, and off duty paramedics who arrived on the scene within 30 seconds," Oxford said in a statement on their website., external

"CPR was administered and the person concerned was eventually resuscitated, before being taken to hospital.

"We would also like to thank the supporters in the area for the part they played, as well as the on-pitch referee team for taking the players off the pitch during this time."

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Oxford United boss Gary Rowett spoke to BBC Radio Oxford following Saturday's 2-0 Championship defeat by Portsmouth.

Both Pompey goals came in the second half of a game that was stopped for more than 30 minutes because of a medical emergency in the stands at the Kassam Stadium.

"My immediate thoughts are for the supporter who needed the attention. Hopefully he's ok. As a flip side to that, when that happens and the players have to go off the pitch, it becomes a bit of a fractured first half and difficult to create any rhythm or continuity within that," Rowett said.

"Our performance was a little bit too rigid first half, we needed to play with a little bit more freedom in certain areas.

"I thought we got into some really good positions but it's that final pass – it's been creeping in for the last three or four games – to get someone into a goalscoring position just hasn't quite been there.

"We conceded a very poor goal from a set-piece with bodies in the box and we don't deal with, then we had three clear cut chances and should score all three, let alone at least one, and we chase the game at the end and leave ourselves open."